


Double Husband

by EnzymaticWitch



Series: First Second Husband [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff and Humor, Fox News, Implied Bottom Bucky Barnes, M/M, Mentions of brainwashing, Other assorted characters - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Swearing, and growing up queer in the 1930s, brief mention of chemical castration, brief mentions of triggers related to ptsd, bucky knows better than to argue, coming out via twitter, just mentions of PTSD, mentions of homophobia and transphobia, non-canon compliant for anything after winter soldier, so many things have happened to bucky, steve and bucky get married, steve is always mad, we're here to have a fun time not a bad time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 02:42:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13425027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnzymaticWitch/pseuds/EnzymaticWitch
Summary: Steve asks Bucky to marry him out of spite.





	Double Husband

**Author's Note:**

> based on a tumblr post requesting Steve marrying Bucky out of spite. It really resonated with me, a creature formed of pure spite.

“Marry me.”

Bucky looks up from his laptop where he's writing his autobiography. It started as a therapy exercise, to try to remember what he could, but then Pepper and Bruce found out and expressed interest in reading a finished version and it snowballed from there. Bucky has an editor and a publisher and a deadline, which makes distractions like Steve’s fury a bit of a pain.

Steve has that look on his face, the one that says someone told Steve Goddamn Rogers he couldn’t do something or had to do something. Like they didn’t know that Steve went from 90 pounds soaking wet to Captain Fucking America because people told him he couldn’t go to war.

The time is 8:15 on a Tuesday morning and it’s way too early for him to deal with Steve on a mission.

Bucky sets the laptop on the coffee table. “You know I know we’re already married, right?” he responds.

That memory came back to him a few months ago, triggered by the smell of exposed floorboards in the home they were renovating. A memory of a blown out church in Italy, matching wedding rings on a chain with his dog tags (missing from the Smithsonian exhibit), the Howlies as witnesses, quiet vows spoken between them. They would find a private place after the war, Steve said, and live out their lives together. A big house with a huge yard. Steve would have room for a studio, Bucky would have his books, they’d have 2.5 dogs and 3 cats.

They got to that, after 70 years or so. Steve has his art room and Bucky has his Kindle (infinite books!) in addition to rows of overstuffed bookshelves in the study. No pets yet, but there was time.

“It’s legal now,” Steve says like he gives a shit about paperwork. The look Bucky levels at him causes the great Captain America to shrink back a bit.

“We got married in the 40s, Stevie. What’s the rush now? It isn’t because you suddenly want to put a ring on it.” He waves his metal hand. Steve did put a ring on it. 70 years ago.

Steve has the gall to look a little sheepish like he should have bought Bucky a ring before proposing again. “I just—“ he starts. “I was thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Bucky snorts. Steve pinches the fat on his thigh, leaning into Bucky’s space.

“Y’know they had the letters I wrote you. SHIELD did. Were going to burn them until Peggy got involved. Guess the world wasn’t ready for queer Captain America at the time. She tried to donate them to the Smithsonian for their exhibit but they didn’t want them.” His mouth twists into a grimace.

Bucky remembers the Smithsonian display that claimed he and Steve were just two swell pals. Even with no memories, he knew that was bullshit. He didn’t know how much bullshit until Steve showed up in Sokovia and kissed him while robots tried to end the world around them. He was still barely Bucky at the time, but the kiss was nice.

Steve kneels in front of Bucky, placing hands on either side of him on the couch. “What’d’ya say, Buck? Marry me again? Let me throw you a big ass wedding?”

Bucky smiles sweet as pie and grabs one of Steve’s cheeks with his flesh hand, pulling hard. “You hate public events, Rogers.”

“The president’s been using me to push homophobic and transphobic policies and I want to spite him please don’t punch me,” Steve admits. Bucky throws a Captain America Commemorative Pillow Tony gave him (as one of the many forms of retribution for murdering his parents while he was a brainwashed POW assassin) at his face.

“You fuckin punk!” Bucky accuses, pummeling Steve with said pillow while he tries to shield himself. “I knew it! You almost had me with your sweet talk.”

Steve laughs, “It’s still true! I do wanna make everything legal with the added benefit of pissing off bigots.”

“You’re such a fuckin sweet talker, Stevie. This is the most romantic proposal I’ve ever gotten,” Bucky laughs.

Steve eventually pins him to the couch, tossing the pillow over his head and laying Bucky flat. They’re face to face, their big hideous red white and blue couch able to accommodate both of them easily. Steve leans down and slots his mouth against Bucky’s.

It’s very patriotic, Captain America making out with his ex-Soviet-Hydra-whatever assassin boyfriend on a couch made to look like the American fucking flag. Maybe the picture should be on their wedding invitations.

Steve pulls back, nips at Bucky’s jaw. “What d’ya say, babe? Wanna marry Captain America?”

“Hell no,” Bucky chuckles. “But I’ll marry Steve Rogers, the big jerk who wants to throw a wedding out of spite.”

Bucky’s laugh breaks off into a moan as Steve mouths lower and lower.

—

Bucky has a thing about diamonds. As much as Bucky would love a big ass rock on his finger (because he, like Steve, is partly made of spite), the diamond trade is abhorrent. Bucky isn’t interested in funding war or slave labor in undeveloped countries destroyed by capitalism. Again. Because he definitely assassinated leaders and destabilized many regions that also happen to do gem mining. He also watched Blood Diamond once.

Bucky tells Steve this when they’re looking at engagement rings on their Starktech tablet that was ethically made (as assured by Pepper). Steve’s eyes glaze over about halfway through the explanation, but he agrees that Bucky can have whatever ring he wants.

There’s also the issue of Avenging. Bucky doesn’t fight or go on missions on account of the whole POW, brainwashing, and PTSD things, but he may still be targeted by assholes who want to hurt him or Steve. He wants to be able to wear his ring on his left ring finger and still be able to use the arm to punch through walls. Steve does still work with the Avengers and also wants to not have to worry about shattering his wedding band.

They end up contacting T’Challa, who puts them in touch with a Wakandan jewelry maker who can make them vibranium weddings bands and an indestructible vibranium engagement ring for Bucky.

After that’s settled, Steve texts Pepper, asks her how to handle announcing an engagement as an Avenger.

Pepper responds immediately with a series of exclamation points and asks who the lucky girl is.

Steve replies by sending a picture of Bucky, who flips him off.

Pepper sends even more exclamation points and a million emojis Steve and Bucky can’t decipher. She says she’ll contact them with options after talking to their massive PR team.

It’s quiet for a while after that.

—

Bucky’s lounging in boxer briefs and one of Steve’s shirts on their hideous patriotic couch a week later, hair up in a messy bun, flesh arm holding his Kindle while his other arm nurses a cup filled with a protein shake monstrosity. The vibranium engagement ring glints in the afternoon sun. Steve is away on Avenger business when a tall man with an unfortunate asymmetrical cloak appears out of a sparky hole in the air.

Every muscle in Bucky’s body tenses. His first instinct is to spring over the couch and punch the man before he can do whatever it is he’s here to do. He’s been working on that with his therapist. Not every situation calls for punching.

He notices a moment later that a very pregnant Wanda and a man with horns on his head are with him. Definitely probably not a punching situation.

“I am Doctor Steven Strange and I need your help to save the world,” the man announces. Bucky gives him a stare that could level buildings.

“Hi,” Bucky responds, waving his protein shake. “What.”

“The Avengers have been trapped inside an infinity stone. I can get them out, but I need you to anchor Captain Rogers to this reality,” Strange says. “There’s no time to explain. We have to go.”

“What,” Bucky intelligently replies.

“James,” Wanda insists, holding her hand out to him. Her eyes are wide and panicked and Bucky figures that if a seven month pregnant Wanda is here then it’s probably legit.

He takes her hand and Strange opens another sparky portal that takes them to the goddamn Grand Canyon.

The sky above the canyon is a dark black with streaming lights shooting through. There’s an orange ball of energy the size of a melon floating a few feet away from where they appeared. The rocky, sandy ground does not feel great on Bucky’s feet, and he realizes he probably had time to put on shoes. Or pants.

Whatever. Steve’s shirt covers him to mid-thigh. Not everyone has to wear ridiculous armor to the end of the world. Besides, his calves look great.

“Wanda and I will combine our power to allow you to connect with the Captain,” horn boy says as he walks passed Bucky. “Once you get him to understand that he’s in an illusion, we can collapse the reality created and drag your allies out of the stone.”

“He’s in an illusion?” Bucky asks. Horn boy - Loki, formerly attempted conquerer of the world, his mind helpfully supplies - frowns at him. He raises his hand and Bucky feels a wave of detached panic before everything goes dark.

Their 1940s apartment wasn’t this nice. It was cold and drafty and they only occasionally had running water. This approximation has electricity and expensive looking windows with natural light and room for Steve’s art and a goddamn cat brushes past Bucky’s legs, leads him to the bedroom.

Steve - big Steve, not the skinny guy who lived here - is fucking 1940s twinky-as-hell Bucky Barnes into a bed that definitely wasn’t theirs. This Bucky was before Azzano, has Bucky’s lost wedding band on his finger. He's making embarrassing noises that Bucky definitely doesn't make, though a blush does crawl up his skin.

“Damn, Rogers. You are boring.” Bucky snorts. Steve’s head whips around from where he’s sucking on not-Bucky’s nipple.

“Bucky? What?” Steve says, eyes wide. Baby Bucky disappears, fades like an old photograph. Steve sits up on his knees, gaping at Bucky. “What are you wearing? What happened to your arm?!”

“I was kidnapped by wizards,” Bucky says with an easy smile.

It takes a moment for Steve’s brain to catch up with the situation. Seeing Bucky seems to shock him out of whatever the stone's doing. He looks around, brows crinkling in confusion.

“We were fighting a Nazi alien from another dimension,” Steve says, climbing out of the bed. “For an infinity stone. In the Grand Canyon.”

“Right,” Bucky nods like he knows anything about this mission.

Steve looks at him again. “Why aren’t you wearing pants?”

“I'm here to save your star-spangled ass,” Bucky snorts. He gestures to the bed. “Looks like it wasn’t your ass I needed to save.”

Steve has the decency to look a little guilty. Bucky continues, his lip tipped up in a smirk. “I can’t believe this infinity whatever put you in a fantasy where you pound me into a mattress in the fake 1940s.”

“I, uh. Sorry.” Steve says, approaching Bucky. He eyes the vibranium engagement ring on Bucky's metal hand.

“You like me better when I was skinny, Rogers?” Bucky asks, folding his arms over his chest.

Steve blushes and shakes his head, cupping Bucky's ass. "Can't say I do. You had no ass."

Bucky drags him into a kiss.

There’s a rush of power, like static in the air before a thunderstorm. When Bucky opens his eyes, Steve is dressed in his uniform and they’re standing in the Grand Canyon. The sky is the blue and the other Avengers are on the ground around them, groaning or unconscious.

Steve grins against Bucky’s mouth, kisses him again. “Let’s get married.”

“We are getting married, punk,” Bucky responds fondly.

There’s a beat of silence, and then Sam is saying, “You’re doing what now?” from his place on the ground.

“You’re together?” Pietro pipes up. Wanda is sitting beside him, Vision floating beside her.

Which is how Steve and Bucky come out to the Avengers.

—

It wasn’t that they were hiding anything.

Steve and Bucky just tended to be private people when spite wasn’t involved. Pepper and Tony knew because Steve needed them as a buffer between him and the PR minions. Nat knew because she was Nat. Wanda, being the one who helped Bucky recover memories, knew of their relationship. Sam knew they were together because in private they’re incredibly gross around each other, but they hadn’t announced their engagement yet.

The rest of the people in their lives didn’t know because it’s none of their business.

Until Steve makes it their business by having a spite wedding.

Steve explains this to the unimpressed looks of the rest of the Avengers.

Thor is ecstatic because he fucking loves weddings, Loki explains. Not because of the drinking and embarrassing stories and revelry (though he enjoys that too), but because he loves groups of people coming together to witness a union based on love. He was, after all, a god of fertility.

Strange doesn’t really know these people, and he, Thor, and Loki pop out after a few minutes, infinity stone trapped in a magic container that definitely is an Iron Man lunchbox, leaving the rest of the Avengers to get home the old-fashioned way.

“Did you set a date yet?” Bruce asks when they’re back on the Quinjet. Bucky’s snoozing, fingers linked with Steve’s. The excitement and adrenaline take more out of him now than it used to despite the serum. Detoxing from Hydra’s drugs and deprogramming and settling into a quiet life made him less rigid and quicker to tire.

Steve squeezes Bucky’s hand, smiling fondly when Bucky makes an undignified snort against his suit. “We’re thinking April. Not too cold, not too hot.”

“Closer to midterms, too,” Bucky mutters, eyes closed. Steve blushes a little.

“Midterms?”

“We’re, uh, already married,” Steve says with a sheepish grin. “We got married in 1943. We’re having a wedding now because it’s legal and I want to spite bigots who think I say I support LGBT+ people to be politically correct.”

He can feel Sam staring at the back of his head, a muttered “are you kidding me” coming from somewhere back there. Bruce is smiling his approval.

It’s quiet for the rest of the ride.

—

“Who’s going to be your best man?” Natasha asks during their weekly Netflix night. Tonight they’re watching the third season of the Great British Baking Show. Bucky loves watching polite people pleasantly bake at each other.

“Steve,” he replies absently. “He’s my best man. My only man.”

Natasha levels a look at him. “I mean for the wedding, Barnes.”

Bucky blinks at her owlishly, munching on butterless popcorn because he's a weirdo. Right. Weddings usually had a best man or maid of honor or whatever.

“I know Steve asked Sam,” Natasha continues, using a vague disinterested tone that means she is definitely interested. “Who will you be asking?”

“I don’t really have a lot of friends,” he responds. “Wasn’t really going to ask anyone.”

Natasha gives him a Look.

Bucky, former Winter Soldier, smiles awkwardly and wonders if she’s planning to murder him. “Do you, uh, wanna be my best man, Natalia?”

“Yes,” she replies with a sweet smile.

Murder averted.

—

The PR team has a lot of experience with making the Avengers look good. It turns out they are having a hard time trying to spin “Captain America marries the Winter Soldier, who half of the country still feels is guilty of literal war crimes.” The wedding’s fast approaching and Steve is still righteous and angry every day bigots use the idea of him to oppress minorities.

He snaps when some anti-LGBT+ company’s Twitter account changes its icon to his face.

Steve decides to take to his rarely used Twitter account and get it over with.

 **Steve Rogers @OfficialCaptainAmerica**  
_I’m bisexual. My best guy of 90 years, Bucky Barnes, agreed to marry me. We’re getting married in April. So there._

After a minute, he follows up with

 **Steve Rogers @OfficialCaptainAmerica**  
_Technically we got married in Italy the 40s in between killing Nazis but now we’re putting it on paper._ (Followed by the tongue, ring, eggplant, and peach emojis because Steve is a child.)

 **Steve Rogers @OfficialCaptainAmerica**  
_I figure if a guy and his husband manage to get frozen for 70 years separately we can afford to be out about us. I know being like us isn’t easy, but please know you’re not alone. #CapIsWithYou #LGBTpluspositive_

Tony replies to his tweet with a “you’re so dramatic but congrats gramps” and the Internet proceeds to explode.

Fox News reports it as breaking news within minutes, talking heads theorize that Captain America’s Twitter was hacked until the official Avengers Twitter retweets it and puts out a press release. Then it switches to Steve being a disgrace, reemphasizing the crimes Bucky committed and questioning the moral characters of everyone involved. Some threads on Reddit theorize that Steve’s been replaced by aliens.

Some comments are rough, but the vast majority are sweet, congratulating them or thanking him for coming out. Steve doesn’t feel particularly brave, considering he’s Captain Goddamn America, but he likes being hope for people.

They’re sitting on the couch, Bucky’s legs over Steve’s lap, watching television and ignoring the avalanche of interview requests Steve’s been getting. Bucky’s on the second draft of his biography, going over his editor’s notes and making changes when appropriate. Steve encouraged Bucky to take up the project, more to help queer kids and people who have been through wars than to improve Bucky’s image. It’s set to release in March, a month before their wedding.

Pepper says they should do one or two interviews with sympathetic outlets to help combat the smear campaign. Steve decides against that and just continues to tweet about growing up queer in the 30s and reconnecting with Bucky. He also tweets about how anyone using him to support bigoted or oppressive views is wrong and not invited to his big gay wedding.

He then tweets that he's not sure if it's technically a gay wedding because he's bisexual and Bucky is Steve-sexual. Then he retweets videos of Pomeranians.

By the time he’s done for the night, he’s tweeted a hundred more times, gained a couple hundred thousand more followers, and is related to all of the top trending hashtags. The president is very upset at him.

It’s a good day.

—

Steve agrees to go on Fox News, shocking everyone but Bucky.

Bucky knows that, while Steve does not want to legitimize them, Steve has a plan. This will allow him to reach a large number of people who refuse to get news from anywhere else. Steve conferences in from the Avengers newsroom, where all of their video press is recorded. The background behind him is the Avengers logo on a blue wall. Bucky’s standing off to the side, staring menacingly at the camera crew and anyone who dares to look at him too long.

The anchor mediating the discussion is a pretty blonde woman Bucky doesn’t know the name of. The talking head in the box beside her is a portly man, the leader of some such “traditional” group that is very upset about all of this.

“So, Captain America, how do you respond to the allegations that your sexuality make you unfit for your position?” the woman asks

Steve gives that brilliant I’m Captain Fucking America smile into the camera. “I would say they’re incorrect. I was queer before I ever picked up the shield.”

The pretty blonde woman stares impassively, jaw clenched. They can see her through the monitor off to the side. The other talking head is going a bit red. “You don’t think being open about your alternative lifestyle disqualifies you from being a representative of America?”

“I would say that, yes,” Steve replies pleasantly. To everyone else, he seems a bit oblivious, like he doesn’t understand when he’s being insulted. Bucky can see the clench of his fists, practically feel the energy radiating from him.

The other talking head begins going on about how “alternative lifestyles” lead to mental health issues and a higher risk of death and how are people supposed to explain this to their kids. What about his immortal soul!!

“I don’t really care how people explain love to their children,” Steve replies cheerfully. “It’s 2017. When I was a kid people of color weren’t allowed to marry white people. Sodomy was punishable by death.”

The rest of the Interview goes on like that. The anchor asking vaguely insulting questions, the talking head getting mad, and Steve responding positively with his bullshit patriotic smile.

Toward the end, Steve uses his hand to signal Bucky to approach. Bucky approaches and stays out of frame, brow drawn in confusion.

“I’m done with this interview,” Steve chirps. Steve lunges, grabbing Bucky and pulling him into the frame, forcing Bucky to straddle him sideways and slotting their lips together. The talking head gives an indignant squawk and the anchor begins stuttering before the connection is cut.

Steve begins laughing against Bucky’s lips. Bucky pinches his thigh but offers a smile.

“You’re a punk.”

Steve grins up at him. “Yeah. Did you see the look on their faces, though?”

Steve lifts Bucky easily, Bucky helping by wrapping his legs around his waist. The camera crew is still gawking at them. The camera may or may not still be on. “You’re going to kill half of the population over 50, Stevie.”

“It’s 2017,” Steve replies, walking them out of the room. “Time for them to join the future.”

“You’re a fuckin punk.”

“I’m your punk, jerk.”

—

The camera was indeed still recording, and the footage is leaked online immediately. #ImYourPunkJerk is apparently up there with #ILoveYou #IKnow in terms of romantic declarations. Neither of them understands the reference.

—

Bucky’s book covers what he can remember of his life, goes into intimate detail of his torture and assassinations, his life as a queer kid in Brooklyn, his life trying to adapt to this new world and his PTSD. It sells well.

There are some book burnings. Steve was angry until Bucky pointed out that they still had to buy the books to burn them, and any proceeds from the book sales go to LGTB+ charities and advocacy groups. Steve tweets out that the Nazis burned books too, and look what happened to them. Steve is quickly becoming the only good thing about Twitter, or so says Peter Parker.

With that out of the way, they spend the rest of their time not focusing on the wedding.

“I don’t want a bachelor party,” Bucky tells Natasha over the hottest curry on the planet. Take-out night is every third Thursday of the month unless Nat was out of town, in which case it is moved to the second night after Natasha gets back. “I don’t drink and I’m not a huge fan of crowds, loud music, or half-naked strangers. I’m also technically not a bachelor.”

“Noted. Sam and Tony are still throwing Steve a bachelor party.” More for them than him. “What do you want to do on the night Steve watches all of his friends get drunk?”

“Movie night?”

Natasha nods, and it so. She invites Bruce. Wanda and Vision bring their twins. Wanda invites Loki who brings Stephen Strange with him. Peter Parker somehow finds himself there and spends most of the night staring in awe at Bucky because _Captain America's husband_. It ends up being a big to-do with a dozen pizza boxes spread around his kitchen and living room. They watch Hellboy 2.

Steve sends him texts throughout the night that mostly involve sad faces and/or eggplants.

Someone tweets a picture of Steve at the strip club claiming this proves his heterosexuality and Steve spends the rest of the night explaining bisexuality to idiots on the Internet. Then explaining that he’s not having fun at the club and can’t even get drunk. Then he explains that he respects dancers but he's only got eyes for one person.

Tony tweets a picture of his own ass, which gets the focus off Steve for a while.

—

Pepper is their wedding planner. She understands things like venues and flower arrangements and color. Natasha and Sam provide input, but she’s the one running the show. She controls the guest list, the dinner menu, seating arrangements, television contracts.

The day of their second wedding is clear, not too cold and not too hot. The Howlies aren’t there, but some of their kids and grandkids make it. Peggy’s not alive and Sharon’s on assignment in some far-off corner of the world.

Bucky and Steve are wearing obscenely expensive free custom tuxedos because it turns out that companies jump at the chance to have their clothes being modeled on Captain America on an hour-long wedding special on PBS.

There was the part about the cameras that left Bucky feeling a little itchy, but it was for a good cause.

“Wanna see my tux before we go out there?” Bucky calls. He can hear Steve snort in the other room.

“Isn’t that bad luck?” Steve responded.

“It would be if we weren’t already married, punk. You wanna see me or not?”

Steve’s chuckle dies in his throat when he turns the corner. The black tuxedo is fitted perfectly, straight lines and curves in all the right places. Bucky’s hair is cut and styled the way it was in the 40s as a surprise for Steve. It's somehow more difficult to manage than his long hair, but the look on Steve's face is worth it.

Steve looks like he’s been punched in the gut. “ _Oh_ , Bucky.”

“Aw babe, don’t cry. We’re getting married on camera in twenty minutes,” Bucky laughs, though he’s feeling a little choked up himself. He stared in the mirror for twenty minutes after the haircut. He didn't feel like old Bucky, but he looked more like himself than he had in years.

Steve swallows, eyes red-rimmed. “I never thought we would have this,” he waves his hand. “I was happy with what we did have but god, Bucky. We're getting married.”

Bucky laughs, taking a deep breath to try to stave off tears. "Yeah. I know how much you love paperwork."

Their first wedding was real enough for them. They didn't need a piece of paper to say they were married. This is different, not having to worry about people finding out. Not having to worry about being killed or chemically castrated for being in love. The things that could have happened to them, back then, make Bucky almost glad they both lived, even after all they went through.

There’s a rap of knuckles against the door. “It’s time, boys,” Pepper calls.

Steve huffs, clutching Bucky's hands in his. He runs his finger over the engagement ring. "You wanna get married, Buck?"

Bucky smiles back. "We're already married, Stevie. But yeah, sure."

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this and barely proofread please forgive
> 
> thank you Grammarly for making this somewhat readable xx


End file.
